ball python anal spurs-edited to make the topic identifyable

[red_white_budlite]

my snake has something sticking out of the back end of her tail. and its been out for a few days now

[red_white_budlite]

alright someone has gotta be able to help me

[ChrisBallPython]

do u have a pic of it??

[Stormyva]

A pic would be very helpful.
Where exactly is it sticking out?

[haroldo359]

and what does it look like? poop? a pencil?

[JuliusSqueezer]

Can you be more descriptive?

I'm assuming from the topic title that it's a ball python.

Is whatever is sticking out coming out the vent or the end of the tail?

I don't mean to sound like I'm calling you dumb but we do get this a lot...Do you know what anal spurs are? Someone not long ago on another forum thought their boa had "mouse toenails" sticking out it's butt and he tried to pull them out with pliars....not a good thing.

If what you see is fleshy and coming out it's butt, you have a cloacal prolapse. By now it will not be so pink but have crusty black scabs on it from drying out... If this is the case then at this point you may have a serious infection and necrotic tissue that will need surgery. Take the snake to a vet asap. When ever you have a prolapse happen, soak the snake in a tote with airholes in enough water to cover 2/3 of his body but not so much that he has to swim. Wad up a couple of paper towels and place them in the water in the middle of the tote to make a little soft island. Pour one cup of sugar on and around the paper towel island and place the snake in the sugar water soak and leave him in there till you can get him to the vet. Usually a prolapse can be repaired if caught early by simply pushing the colon back in and putting a single suture in the middle closing the vent for a few days....at any rate, you need to make a vet appointment pretty much NOW.

If something is sticking out the end of the tail....bone? Did you pulll shed off his tail and possibly remove some flesh with it? This happens all too often and exposed bone will need to be removed. Again...find a good herp vet and go there.

	Spurs A pair of claws on each side of the cloaca which assist in mating. A spur is much more defined on a male

	Cloaca is the posterior opening that serves as the only such opening for the intestinal, urinary, and (usually) genital tracts of certain animal species.All birds, reptiles, and amphibians possess this orifice, from which they excrete both urine and feces

[red_white_budlite]

its her spurs they have been out ever since i got her. and the guy told me it was fine. that was like 3 weeks ago, should i be wouried?

	Spurs A pair of claws on each side of the cloaca which assist in mating. A spur is much more defined on a male

[Shadrach]

No the spurs are susposed to be there. The spurs don't go in and out.

	Spurs A pair of claws on each side of the cloaca which assist in mating. A spur is much more defined on a male

[JuliusSqueezer]

spurs are remnants of legs that were lost in evolution. It is unclear whether they had hind legs first and lost them or if they have grown legs and lost them possibly even multiple times. Snake skeletons leave very little fossil evidence behind but it is clear that boids still have a pelvis and the spurs are what appear to be what's left from long lost legs. Colubrids, vipers and elapids have no pelvis nor do they have anal spurs. They are all much more modern. Blindsnakes are even more primative than boids but they don't have them either. Do a search on pachyrhachis problematicus for some scientific theory of how snakes had legs at various times before the end of the cretaceous period. I'll tell you this much. There is a lot of theory and hardly anything is known for sure. Some think snakes evolved from mosasaurs or other lizard like creatures. Some think they came from the sea. Some think the ones that were in the sea came from land first and later came back to the land. It's a lot of guessing and although the guesses are very educated...lack of substantual fossil finds will continue to keep scientists very much in the dark on the origin of snakes. For all we know the spurs on boids are legs coming back.

[CC]

Someone not long ago on another forum thought their boa had "mouse toenails" sticking out it's butt and he tried to pull them out with pliars....not a good thing.

Dang, never heard of that happening. Did he harm the snake? Or should the question be how bad did he harm the snake?